Improvement in the manufacture of cartridge-shells



FFIGE.

DEXTER SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Spcc'icaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 97,561, dated December 7, 1869.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DEXTER SMrrI-r, of Springfield, Hampden county, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improved Method of Manufacturing Metallic Cartridges, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference being had to the accom pan ying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings, Figure I is a vertical sec tional View of the tools used in forming the head oi',u my cartridge-shell, showing the shell in place beiore the headis formed. Fig. His a similar view, showing the shell ai'ter the operation oi'i'orming the head. Fig. III is a longiiudinal sectional view of the shell bei'ore the head is formed. Fig. IV is a similar view after the head is formed, also an inside view of the head. Figs. V and VI are end and perspective view of the punch for forming the inside ot' the head.

The operations performed in my invention are these: The shell is shown in Fig. III after having been drawn out in to an elongated me tallic cup in the ordinary form, except that there is greater thickness of stock at the part of which the head is formed. It is in this shape placed into the die C, ttting over the punch B. The headerA is then broughtl down upon it, either by weight or power. This leaves the shell in the shape shown in Fig. IV, that is, ready for theiulminate to be placed into it, a completed shell.

The construction of the punch B is shown in Figs. I, ll, V, and VI. It consists ot' a cylinder of the saincdiameter as the inside, of the shell. Its end is formed with a projection, ct, in the center, and around this there is a circular cavity, b, of about the eighth of an inch in depth. The punch isrounded oft' at the corners for purpose hereafter mentioned.

The die C consists of a block ot' metal with a hole in it of the same diameter as the outside oi' the shell. The punch B is arranged in this hole in such a manner that the shell tits in the space between the outside of the punch and the inside surface of the hole. The projection o on the end of the punch projects sufficiently above the plane ot the die at the top to cause the stock in the head of the shell to be thin enough to allow the i'ulminate on the inside to be ignited by a'blow of the hainmer upon the outside at this point, the cartridgebeing of the variety known as centerlire. When the head A descends upon the unheaded shell D it crowds the stock around the end of the punch, filling up the space between it and the die; the surplus stock is iiattened out, and forms the rim. The projection a of the punch forms the cavity d of the shell, and the annular cavity b of the punch forms the inner flange e ot' the shell. The iinished shell E so formed has a solid head with its inner corners curved, thereby bracing the head oi the shell, and strengthening it very much.

The object oi" i'orinin g the punch with rounded corners is not only to give a greater thickness oi' stock at the inside corner ofthe shell, but, also, to prevent the stock from cracking at this point, which itis very apt to do if the punch is formed with a sharp corner, the wedgeshaped edge parting the stock at the first shock, and 'rendering the shell liable to blow out. When it is desired to form the cavity d on the outside ot' the shell, it is only necessary to forni the projection a on the header, as Well as .the annular cavity b, and leave them ott' the punch, in which case the end ofthe saine would be dome-shaped.

The advantages of this invention are that a solid head to the shell is formed at a single operation in a drop or press, leaving the shell ready for loading.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The method herein shown of striking up -a solid head upon a metallic .cartridge-shell by means of the punch B, die C, and header A, the parts being constructed, arranged, and operating in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

EDWARD H. HYDE, J. B. GARDINER. 

